Pressure forming apparatus for making paper



Spt. 3, 1968 a G HAM I 3,400,045

PRESSURE FORMING APPARATUS FOR MAKING PAPER Filed Dec. 21, 1964 5Sheets-Sheet 1 PRESSURE FORMING APPARATUS FOR MAKING PAPER Filed Dec.21, 1964 J. B. GRAHAM Sept. 3, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. B. GRAHAM3,400,045

PRESSURE FORMING APPARATUS FOR MAKING PAPER Sept. 3, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet5 Filed Dec. 21. 1964 PRESSURE FORMING APPARATUS FOR MAKING PAPER FiledDec. 21, 1954 J. B. GRAHAM Sept. 3, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 PRESSUREFORMING APPARATUS FOR MAKING PAPER Filed Dec. 21, 1964 J. B. GRAHAMSept. 3, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent Olhce 3,400,045PRESSURE FORMING APPARATUS FOR MAKING PAPER John B. Graham, Neenah,Wis., assignor to Kimberly- Clark Corporation, Neenah, Wis., acorporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 419,765 5 Claims.(Cl. 162-317) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE My invention relates topapermaking machines and more particularly to such machines of the typein which substantial dewatering of the stock in forming the web isaccomplished by applying tension on the forming fabric or wire carryingthe paper web to be dewatered as the forming fabric passes about acurved surface.

It has previously been proposed in the application of Charles A. Lee etal. Ser. No. 161,058, filed Dec. 21, 1961 (now Patent No. 3,224,928,issued Dec. 21, 1965), that a paper web may be formed by directing apaper stock slurry between two rolls, which carry a forming Wire, thewire extending over the upper peripheral portion of a first one of therolls and underneath the second or slice roll for about 180 and thestock being directed on to the portion of the wire bridging these tworolls. A top felt passes around the second roll beneath the wire so thatthe paper web being formed lies between the wire'and felt 'on this roll,and the web is dewatered primarily by the force of the wire bearing onthe roll and on the web and felt caused by the tension of the wirearound the roll. The wire-web-felt sandwich is then directed around athird roll having a nip with the second roll and having its centerdisposed approximately on the same level as the center for the secondroll so that the wire-web-felt sandwich is bent in passing around thethird roll in the direction opposite to that in which it is bent inpassing around the second roll; and, from the third roll, the sandwichpasses to a couching position in which the wire and felt separate. Thefelt carries the formed web from the couching position to variousadditional dewatering and drying positions.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved form ofsuch a papermaking machine in which the wire-web-felt sandwichis notbent reversely from its curved configuration in passing around the sliceroll so that under certain conditions a more perfect web may be formedwhich is not subject to damage by such a reverse bend.

More particularly, it is an object to provide embodiments of the presentinvention in which Wire-web-felt sandwiches exist only about the sliceroll, with the wire being drawn away from the felt on the periphery ofthe slice roll.

The invention consists of the novel constructions, arrangements anddevices to be hereinafter described and claimed for carrying out theabove stated objects, and such other objects, as will be apparent fromthe following description of preferred forms of the invention,illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic elevational view of a paper- 3,400,045 PatentedSept. 3, 1968 making machine including a stock inlet and embodying theprinciples of the invention;

FIG. 1A is an elevational view on an enlarged scale of the stock inlet;and

FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5 are diagrammatic elevational views of papermakingmachines constituting modified forms of the invention.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in the several views.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the papermaking machine thereinillustrated may be seen to comprise a loop of web forming fabric or wire20 which is disposed about rolls 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29.The fabric 20 is a conventional paper web forming fabric or wire for usein Fourdrinier machines made up of interwoven warp and shute strands forproviding drainage openings therebetween through which water may drainfrom dilute paper stock applied on the fabric. The strands may be eithermetal or may be of synthetic material in accordance with well knownpractice.

The roll 21, which is relatively large in diameter in comparison withthe other rolls, may be termed a slice roll; and the roll 29, which hasits center located on the same level as the center for the roll 21 andwhich is slightly smaller in diameter than the roll 21, may be termed abreast roll. The roll 22 is a couch roll and has both ends fixed; andthe rolls 23, 24, 27 and 28 are simple turning rolls having both endsfixed. The roll 25 may be used as a stretch roll with conventionalmechanism (not shown) for simultaneously adjustably moving both ends ofthe roll and maintaining the fabric 20 taut about the rolls. The roll 26is a conventional guide roll having one end fixed and the other endmovable; and any suitable conventional apparatus (not shown) may beconnected with the movable end of the roll 26, so that the roll 26functions to maintain the fabric loop 20 traveling in substantially thesame path about the rolls supporting the fabric. One or more of thefabric supporting rolls, such as the slice roll 21 or the couch roll 22,may be driven for the purpose of driving the fabric 20; so that thefabric passes over the fabric supporting rolls, all of which turn.

It will be observed that the fabric 20 passes over the upper peripheralsurface of the breast roll 29 and bridges the rolls 21 and 29, whichhave a slight gap between them, and then passes under and around theroll 21 covering about of the peripheral surface of the roll 21. Thewire 20 then passes in a direct path to the couch roll 22. The fabric 20passes from the couch roll, beneath the roll 23, over the roll 24,beneath the roll 25, over the roll 26, and over the upper peripheralsurfaces of the rolls 27 and 28. Any suitable doctors and Water showersmay be used in connection with the fabric 20 and with the rollssupporting the fabric 20, such as the doctors 30, 31 and 32 and theshowers 33, 34 and 35. All of the rolls supporting the fabric 20,including the rolls 21 and 29, may be of solid construction asdistinguished from bollow, perforated construction, although the roll 22is preferably provided with narrow circumferential water receivinggrooves in its face.

An upper loop of fabric 36 is disposed about rolls 37, 38, 39, 40, 41,42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, and 49; and the fabric 36 also passes overthe rolls 22 and 21. The fabric 36 is preferably one that absorbs waterto a greater extent and releases water more easily than does the usualwater draining web forming fabric and may, for example, be aconventional top felt used by papermakers. The fabric 36 is in directcontact with the exterior surface of the slice roll 21, and the fabric20 lies on top of or outside of the fabric 36 as the fabric 36 passesover the roll 21. The roll 49 is preferably a suction roll asillustrated.

The roll 40 is a conventional stretch roll having both endssimultaneously adjustably movable by suitable adjusting mechanism (notshown) for maintaining the loop of fabric 36 taut about the rollssupporting the loop. The roll 38 is a conventional guide roll having oneend fixed and the other end movable under the control of any suitablecontrol mechanism (not shown) for maintaining the fabric 36 traveling ina predetermined path about the rolls supporting the fabric. The rolls 44and 46 are pressure rolls, and each of these has a pressure nip with asteam heated Yankee drier 50 of conventional construction. Crepingdoctors 51 and 52 are provided for ereping paper web from the surface ofthe Yankee drier 50, the doctors 51 and 52 being alternately sooperable. The roll 49 constitutes one roll of a main press 53 which alsoincludes a roll 54 having a pressure nip with the roll 49. A roll 55 ispreferably provided in connection with the roll 22 for holding thefabrics 20 and 36 firmly in contact on the surface of the couch roll 22.The other rolls 37, 39, 41, 42, 43, 45, 47 and 48 for supporting thefabric 36 are simple turning rolls. The rolls 44 and 46 are preferablysuction rolls as illustrated.

A third fabric loop 56 passes between the rolls 49 and 54. The fabric 56is prefer-ably a bottom felt conventionally used in papermaking. Thefabric 56 passes around rolls, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63 and 64, inaddition to the roll 49. The roll 64 constitutes one roll of a wringer65 which includes also another roll 66 held to have a pressure nip withthe roll 64. The roll 62 is a conventional guide roll having one endfixed and the other end movable under the control of a suitable controlmechanism (not shown) for maintaining the fabric 56 traveling in apredetermined path about the rolls supporting the fabric. The roll 59 isa conventional stretch roll having both ends simultaneously adjustablymovable by suitable adjusting mechanism (not shown) for maintaining theloop 56 taut about the rolls supporting the loop. The other rolls 57,58, 60, 61 and 63 are simple turning rolls.

A stock inlet 67 is provided for directing paper stock between the rolls29 and 21 and particularly on to the portion of the fabric 20 thatbridges the narrow gap between the rolls 21 and 29. The inlet 67comprises a manifold 68 (see FIG. 1A) and a pair of plates 69 and 70which have facing, parallel, fiat surfaces defining an elongated slot 71between them. It will be observed from FIGS. 1 and 1A that the slot 71is vertically disposed so as to direct stock directly into the nipbetween the rolls 21 and 29.

In operation, paper stock slurry is supplied to the manifold 68, and thepaper stock passes into the slot 71 and discharges from the lower endsof the plates 69 and 70 into the gap between the rolls 29 and 21 and onto the portion of the wire 20 bridging the gap between these rolls. Theplates 69 and 70 may, for example, be 8 inches to 30 inches long and maybe spaced less than an inch apart, such as /8 inch to /3 inch, so as toimpart a fine scale turbulence to the stock passing between them, inaccordance with the teachings in the copending application of David W.Appel et al., Ser. No. 278,521, filed May 2, 1963. The paper stockstarts to drain immediately on contact with the wire 20; and the stockpasses, as it forms into a web, around the roll 21, being disposedbetween the felt 36 and the wire 20. The web in passing around the roll21 in a sandwich between the wire 20 and felt 36 is dewatered primarilydue to the force with which the wire bears on the roll 21 and on the weband felt 36 because of the tension maintained on the wire around theroll, although centrifugal force also helps in this respect. The webcontinues along with the wire 20 and felt 36 to the rolls 22 and 55. Thewire 20 separates from the felt 36 at this point, and the paper webcontinues with the felt 36, traveling on the underside of the felt. Theweb follows the felt 36 rather than the wire 20 at this point, since thefelt is considerably more dense than the wire.

The felt and web travel through the main press 53, and the press 53 iseffective to press some of the remaining water from the web traveling onthe underside of the felt, and this dewatering action is augmented bythe bottom felt 56 which functions to absorb water from the web as theweb passes through the main press. The felt 36 continuing to carry theweb on its under surface passes around the rolls 48 and 47 to thepressure roll 46, and the web transfers from the felt 36 on to the drierdrum 50 in the nip between the roll 46 and the drum 50. As the drum 50rotates, the web is carried on the outer surface of the drum 50 throughthe nip between the pressure roll 44 and the drum50, and the pressureroll 44 also has a dewatering action on the web and causes sureadherence of the web on the drum 50. The web in traveling with the drum50 to the doctor blades 51 and 52 is dried, and one or the other of theblades 51 and 52 doctors the web from the drum 50. The web is thenreeled into rolls by any suitable reeling equipment (not shown).

It will be observed that the felt 36 between the roll 21 and the webcouching line between the rolls 22 and 55 has no reverse bends in it;that is, the felt 36 does not'pass around any roll or any other supportthat has the function of bending the felt in a direction opposite tothat in which it is bent in passing around the roll 21. The sandwich ofthe wire 20, the web, and the felt 36 thus is not disturbed in passingfrom the roll 21 to the couching line between the rolls 22 and 55, and arelatively perfect sheet is thus formed.

The principal difference between the embodiment of the inventionillustrated in FIG. 2 and that illustrated in FIG. 1 is that the stockinlet is disposed to direct stock horizontally rather than verticallyand the wire covers about 180, rather than of the periphery of the sliceroll. Parts in the FIG. 2 embodiment which are similar to those in theFIG. 1 embodiment are designated by the same reference characters exceptwith the sufiix a added. A slice roll 21a is utilized, and the inlet 67adirects the stock horizontally and to a place directly above the centerof rotation of the roll 21a.

The FIG. 2 embodiment includes a forming fabric 72, which is similar tothe fabric in the first embodiment, except that it is of differentlength. The fabric 72 extends around slightly more than of the sliceroll 21a and around a roll 73 which is smaller in diameter than theslice roll 21a and is positioned above the roll 21a. The forming fabric72 extends also about the rolls 22a to 28a. It will be observed thatthere is a small gap between the rolls 73 and 21a and that the formingfabric 72 bridges this gap. The paper stock inlet 67a is positioned todischarge stock horizontally and between the rolls 21a and 73 and on tothis portion of the forming fabric bridging the gap between these rolls.

A felt 74, which is similar to the felt 36 except that it is a differentlength, extends around the roll 21a for more than 180 of its periphery.The felt 74 also extends around simple turning rolls 75, 76 and 77, alsoabout rolls 38a to 48a corresponding to the similarly numbered rolls inthe first embodiment, also between rolls 54a and 49a corresponding tothe rolls 54 and 49 and between rolls 22a and 55a corresponding to therolls 22 and 55. A bottom felt 56a is utilized, and this extends aroundrolls 57a to 64a and about the roll 49a and through the nip between thepress rolls 54a and 49a.

In operation, paper stock is discharged horizontally from the inlet.67abetween the rolls 73 and 21a. The formation takes place on the wire 72,and the web is dewatered as it passes around the slice roll 21apositioned between the wire 72 and felt 74 primarily due to the tensionmaintained on the wire 72. The web then proceeds through the remainderof the papermaking machine similarly as in the first describedembodiment. This form of the invention provides more forming length forthe paper web, since the wire 72 lies on the slice roll 21a for about180 instead of about 90; and hence this form is better suited for heavyweight webs than is the first form of the invention.

The modified form of the invention illustrated in FIG. 3 is basicallythe same as that shown in FIG. 1, except that the rolls 22, 23, 24 and55 have been dispensed with, and a wire supporting roll 78 is utilizedinstead of the wire supporting rolls 22, 23 and 24. Parts in the FIG. 3embodiment have been given reference numerals corresponding to similarparts in the FIG. 1 embodiment, ex cept with a sulfix b added to eachreference numeral. An endless forming wire 79 similar in construction tothe fabric 20 but shorter in length is used, and the wire 79 extendsfrom the roll 29b around the slice roll 21b and around the roll 78 tothe rolls 25b, 26b, 27b and 28b. The roll 78 is smaller in diameter thanthe roll 21b and is positioned below the roll 21b, with its centeroffset toward the drier end of the machine with respect to the centerfor the roll 21b, so that the wire 79 leaves the surface of the roll 21bon a line 80 on the bottom of the roll 21b, whereby'the wire 79 issupported by the roll 21b for approximately 90 of the circumference ofthe roll 21b.

The felt 81 is similar to'the felt 36 and is supported by the same rollsexcept that the felt passes directly from the roll 21b to the press roll49b. Since the pass of the felt 81 from the roll 21b lies above and ismore upwardly directed than is the pass of the wire 79 from the roll 21bto the roll 78, the felt 81 leaves the surface of the roll 21b along aline 82 which is close to but is spaced from the line 80 on theperiphery of the slice roll 21b.

The FIG. 3 embodiment functions much the same as the FIG. 1 embodimentexcept that the wire 79 is separated from the felt 81 and the paper webcarried by the felt 81 while the felt 81 is still in contact with and issupported by the slice roll 21b. Therefore, there is no wire-web-feltsandwich except on the cylindrical surface of the slice roll 21b, and nosuch sandwich has been changed from a cylindrical form on the roll 21bto a planar form as it exists between the rolls 21 and 22 in the firstembodiment. Therefore, even less disruption of the web can be expectedusing the FIG. 3 embodiment than with the FIG. 1 embodiment; since thewire-web-felt sandwich, when it exists, has the constant cylindricalform of the roll 21b.

The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4 differs mainly from the FIG. 2embodiment in eliminating the rolls 22a and 55a and the contactingportions of the forming wire and felt between the rolls 21a and 22a. Inthese respects, the FIG. 4 form is also similar to the, FIG. 3 form. A

number of parts which are similar to parts described in previouslydescribed embodiments are utilized, and these are designated by the samereference characters except that it is of different length, and the wire83 extends around the rolls 73c and 210. A roll 84 is provided beneaththe roll 21c. The roll 84 is smaller in diameter than the roll 21c andhas its center approximately below the center of the roll 21c. Theforming fabric extends from the roll 21c around the roll 84 and fromthence around rolls 25c to 280. A felt 81c is provided which is similarto the felt 81 in the FIG. 3 embodiment and is supported by similarrolls.

The rolls 84 and 210 have the wire 83 and felt 81c passing between them,together with the formed paper web therebetwen, and the roll 84 mayeither be positioned to have a pressure nip with the roll 21c, or theroll 84 may be positioned downwardly slightly to provide a small gapbetween the rolls 84 and 210 so that no pressure exists on the wire andfelt as they pass between these rolls. If the roll 84 is positioned tohave a pressure nip with the roll 210, the roll 84, in this case, shouldpreferably have an open construction on its peripheral surface, that is,it should either be a solid roll provided with small circum- 'ferentialgrooves or else the roll should be hollow with a drilled periphery.

In operation, the paper stock is directed into the gap between the rolls73c and 21c and on to the portion of the wire 83 that bridges this gap.A paper web is thus formed on the wire and travels between the wire '83and felt 810 for about 180 around the roll 21c. The wire 83 inforcefully bearing on the slice roll 21c is effective for dewatering theweb in its travel around the roll 21c; and, assuming there is nopressure nip between the roll 84 and roll 210, the paper web is drawnfrom the wire 83 and follows the felt 81c quite similarly to the actionof the felt 81 in the FIG. 3 embodiment in transporting the web from theslice roll 21b. The paper web is dewatered in the main press 53c and istransferred on to the drier 50c as with prior embodiments. If the roll84 is positioned to have a presure nip with the roll 21c, these rollsprovide a dewatering action on the paper web as it passes through thismp.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 5 is quite similarto that illustrated in FIG. 4 but mainly differs from it in that theforming fabric travels only over 90 of the slice roll instead of 180,and the bottom felt is run in contact with the top felt and slice rollas well as through the nip of the main press. The FIG. 5 embodimentincludes parts similar to parts in prior embodiments, and these aredesignated with the same reference characters with the additional dsuffix. This embodiment includes the forming fabric .85 which is similarto the fab- 'ric 20, except that it is of different length. The fabric85 passes over the rolls 73d and 21d and over an additional roll 86which is positioned below the roll 21d such that there is a stretch 85gof the fabric 85 extending approximately vertically and downwardly fromthe portion of the periphery of the roll 21d which is most remote fromthe drier end of the machine. The wire 85 extends around substantially'of the periphery of the slice roll 21d, since the roll 73d has itscenter disposed approximately above the center of the roll 21d and sincethe stretch 85g of the wire 85 is nearly vertical. The fabric 85 alsoextends around rolls 25d to 28d. A felt 81d is used, and this extendsover the roll 21d for about 225 on the periphery of the roll 21d,leaving the roll 21d on its bottom; and the felt extends also over therolls 75d to 77d and rolls 38d to 49d, similarly to the felt 810 in theFIG. 4 embodiment.

A bottom felt 87 is utilized, and this is similar to the felt 56 exceptthat it is of greater length. The felt 87 extends over the roll 49d androlls 57d to 64:2, similarly to the felt 56; in addition, the felt 87extends over rolls 88. 89 and 90. The rolls 88 and 90 are simple turningrolls. The roll 89 has its center positioned below the center of theslice roll 21d and is a suction roll and provides a pressure nip withthe roll 21d so as to form a press with the slice roll 21d.

In operation, the stock inlet 67d discharges stock into the open nipbetween the rolls 73d and 21d and on to the portion of the wire 85bridging the gap between the rolls. A paper web is thus formed on thewire 85 and is positioned between the wire and the felt 81d as they passabout the roll 21d. The web is dewatered .due to the tension on the wire85 as the web passes around the roll 21d with the wire and the felt, andthe wire leaves the felt and web on a line 91, which is substantially onthe same level as the center of the slice roll 21d. The web and feltcontinue around the roll 21d to the nip between the rolls 21d and 89,and the felt 81d and web travel directly from this nip to the roll 49d,with the web adhering to the bottom surface of the felt 81d. The press,including the rolls 21d and 89 and the bottom felt 87 passing throughthe nip between the rolls 89 and 21d, helps in dewatering this web; andthe web is further dewatered and dried in passing through the main press53d and on to the drier drum 50d, as in previously describedembodiments.

The papermaking machines of the invention advantageously form a paperwebbetween a felt and a forming 7 wire, and each includes a slice rollabout which'the felt and wire pass with the wire being exterior withrespect to the felt. A breast roll is provided in close proximity butspaced from the slice roll, so that the wire bridges the gap between thetwo rolls; and paper stock projected into this gap on to the wire formsa paper web that lies between the felt and the wire asthey pass aboutthe slice roll. Dewatering of the paper web in the wire-web-feltsandwich passing around the slice roll occurs due to the tension appliedto the wire causing it to forcefully bear on the slice roll and squeezethe paper web between the felt and wire. Centrifugal force on the waterwithin the web being formed alsohelps in this respect but is effectiveparticularly in removing the water from the wire once the water has beensqueezed from the paper web due to the tension on the wire.

In order to provide a substantial forming length in the felt-wiresandwich supported by the slice roll, the wire preferably extends aroundthe slice roll from 90 to'180". Depending on the consistency of thestock supplied between the slice and breast rolls, the speed of themachine, the gap between the slice and breast rolls, the speed of thestock discharged from the associated inlet, the tension of the formingwire, the diameter of the slice roll, and other factors, the forminglength of the felt-wire sandwich varies in length. The forming length isthat length from the transverse line on the wire at which stockis'applied on to the wire to the line on the wire about the slice rollat which a discrete paper web appears. It will therefore be understoodthat for thicker basis weights, the arc of the wire-felt sandwich aboutthe slice roll of about 180 is preferred. Such an arc occurs in theembodiments shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. For lighter basis weight webs, suchas for tissue, the 90 arc of the wire and felt included in the otherembodiments is entirely adequate.

It may be mentioned, incidentally, that within the forming length of thewire and felt, the stock being formed into the web has a substantiallyconstant pressure and that the forming length is self-adjusting; thatis, it increases automatically with increased web basis weight andmachine speed, for example. The consistency and velocity of the stock,the gap between the breast and slice rolls, the speed of the machine andother factors are, of course, properly adjusted so that there is noback-flow of the stock from between the breast and slice rolls, and thefelt-wire sandwich on the slice roll accepts all of the stock supplied.

In order that there may be a minimum of disturbance of the web afterinitial dewatering in the felt-wire sandwich about the slice roll, themachine arrangements of the invention are such that the wire-web-feltsandwich is not given any reverse bends; that is, bends in a directionopposite to that which the sandwich has in passing around the sliceroll, before the web is removed from the wire and is carried by the feltfor subsequent additional dewatering and drying. In the FIG. 1 and FIG.2 embodiments, the wire-web-felt sandwich passes directly, in a straightline, from the slice roll to a couching roll at which the felt and wireseparate. The FIG. 1 embodiment provides about 90 of travel of the wireabout the slice roll, and the FIG. 2 embodiment provides about 180 oftravel about the wire of the slice roll. The other embodiments, namely,those shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, advantageously do not provide any typeof wire-web-felt sandwich subsequent to the slice roll. In the FIG. 3embodiment, the wire 79 travels over only one of the lower quadrants, ofthe slice roll 21b, while the wire 85 in the FIG. embodiment is soarranged that it travels over only 'roll'21c of about 180.

I wish it to be understood that the invention is not to be'limited tothe specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, exceptonly insofar as the claims may be so limited, as it will be understoodto those skilled in the art thatchanges may be made without departingfrom the principles of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a paper web forming machine, the combination of an endless paperweb forming fabric having interstices therethrough for draining paperstock deposited thereon, an endless felt, means for supportingand-moving said fabric and also said felt each in the form of a loop andincluding a plurality of supporting rolls, said rolls including a sliceroll and both said fabric and said felt passing around it with asubstantial arc of at least with said fabric being outermost andincluding a second roll disposed adjacent to and in proximity to saidslice roll and having said fabric passing around it and bridging to saidslice roll, and a paper stock inlet arranged to direct the stock betweensaid slice and second rolls so that the stock drains through said fabricto form a paper web between said fabric and said felt which passesaround said slice roll, said supporting means including a third rollwhich is substantially spaced from said slice roll and is in suchposition that said felt passes from said slice roll to said third rollin a straight pass.

2. In a paper web forming machine as set forth in claim 1, said thirdroll also supporting said fabric in addition to said felt so that bothsaid fabric and said felt pass from said slice roll in a straight passto said third roll and so that said fabric separates from said felt onsaid third roll with the paper web continuing to follow along with saidfelt.

3. In a paper web forming machine as set forth in claim 1, saidsupporting means also including a fourth roll which supports said fabricand is so positioned that the fabric travels from said slice roll tosaid fourth roll and leaves said slice roll on the periphery of theslice roll along a'line which precedes the line at which said feltleaves said slice roll during the rotation of the slice roll. 4. In apaper web forming machine as set forth in claim 1, said supporting meansalso including a fourth roll which supports said fabric and around whichsaid fabric travels-and which has a pressure nip with said slice roll sothat said fabric and said felt separate at the nip of said fourth rolland slice roll.

5. In a 'paper web forming machine as set forth in claim 3, saidsupporting means also including a fifth roll having a pressure nip withsaid slice roll positioned about the periphery of the slice roll so thatsaid felt exclusive of said fabric passes through said nip, and a secondendless felt passing through said nip along with said first named feltfor removing water from the paper web which is carried by said firstnamed felt. 1

References Cited I, UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,224,928 12/1965 Lee et al162-417 3,325,745 6/1967 Graham 1 62317 DONALL SYLVESTER, PrimaryExaminer.

A. C. HODGSON, Assistant Examiner.

